Alexandru Almasan

Alexandru Almasan is a Professor in the Department of Molecular Medicine and an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at the School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University. He is also a Member of the Molecular Oncology Program at the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center and a Researcher in the Department of Cancer Biology at the Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic. His research focuses on understanding cell death and proliferation control mechanisms during genotoxic stress, particularly in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and prostate cancer. Key areas include BCL-2 family proteins, autophagy regulation, DNA repair pathways, and therapeutic resistance. His work aims to develop targeted therapies and personalized treatment strategies by integrating molecular mechanisms with clinical outcomes.

Research Interests: Molecular basis of apoptosis and autophagy, DNA damage responses, therapy resistance in cancers (CLL and prostate), BCL-2 family proteins, USP14 in DNA repair, and radiosensitivity mechanisms.

Publications: Recent studies highlight his work on NUDT16 regulation of 53BP1 (Cancer Res, 2020), USP14's role in DNA repair (Nucleic Acids Res, 2020), and overcoming BTK inhibitor resistance (Cell Death Dis, 2019). His research bridges molecular mechanisms with clinical translation, emphasizing therapeutic target discovery.

Labs/Teams: Leads a lab investigating apoptosis, autophagy, and DNA repair in leukemias and epithelial tumors. Collaborates with clinical teams to translate findings into patient-specific therapies.